SpaceX is set for a historic launch Wednesday night for the first all-private orbital flight aboard the company’s Crew Dragon.
The mission is a collaboration between SpaceX and billionaire software entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, who purchased the seats on Crew Dragon to raise awareness and funding for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The fee for the flight was not disclosed.
The citizen astronauts selected for Inspiration4 are Haley Arceneaux, who was treated at St. Jude and now works at the hospital; Isaacman; geologist Sian Proctor; and Chris Sembroski, an Air Force veteran who served in Iraq.
The crew will spend nearly three days in orbit, conducting experiments and appearing on livestream events. The crew is expected to return to Earth around 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 18th.
Inspiration4 will take off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The five-hour launch window is scheduled to open at 8:03 p.m. ET.
Check out the livestream below.